Sam Brown House, Gervais, Oregon, seen on the way to Schreiner's Iris Gardens, Salem, Oregon

Memorial Day I drove out of Portland in the Zipcar named McMinnville, headed for the glories of Schreiner's Iris Gardens. On the way I drove by this house.

Immediately, I decided to turn around safely, head back the way I came, and then pull over for the opportunity to take a few photos, the first ones of that day. On the way home, satisfied hours later, I noticed big white barn back off the road and partially hidden by trees, to the right of the house as you see it in the photo. I read the words "The Willows, Sam H. Brown, 1921" in black letters on the front of the barn. "Oh, boy!" I thought. Perhaps I will be able to find out something online about the house.

Bits, I found these bits:

The Sam Brown House is a historic building located in Gervais, Oregon. It was constructed in 1857 for the former state senator and pioneer Samuel Brown. Built in a French Prairie area in the Classical Revival style of architecture, the Sam Brown House is believed to be the first home in the area to be worked on by an architect, as employing such experts weren’t exactly the trend yet back then. It was featured in 1986 in the August issue of the National Geographic Magazine. The article told the story of Samuel Brown and how he became an Oregon pioneer. The Sam Brown House became home to three generations of the family. Samuel Brown’s son, Sam, was also a local politician who became a state senator and ran unsuccessfully for the governor post in 1936.

Sam Brown House is a historic house in Gervais, Oregon, United States built in 1857 by Oregon pioneer and state senator Samuel Brown. Area: 2 acres (1 ha) Address: E of Gervais, Oregon Architectural styles: Neoclassical architecture, Classical Revival

Sam Brown House on Oregon Route 99E Location:12878 Portland Rd. NE Gervais, Oregon Architect: Sam Brown. Architectural style: Classical Revival. Added to NRHP:November 5, 1974